The impact of media and public discourse on national legislation concerning GMO

Abstract

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are the most controversial product of innovative biotechnology. However, most experts believe that GMOs are the most promising perspective for the future bioeconomy. Mass media are the most important tool in the transfer of knowledge from academia to the society. Public discurse concerning genetic engineering is very crude and indicates a low level of public awareness. The formation of national legislation depends strongly on the voters opinion, which is critically important for the policy makers. We present data concerning media coverage on GMOs trying to understand the social aversion to this issue.